Closing Time
by thirteenchrysanthemums
Summary: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end". - In which, Rukawa learns what it means to start again. Sequel to Sleeping Beauty.


**Hello you precious people. I'm sorry I haven't posted in ages.**

 **When I wrote the epilogue to Sleeping Beauty (about Rukawa injuring himself so badly that he couldn't play basketball professionally anymore) I already made an outline of this sequel.**

 **But earlier this year, I faced a similar situation to my Rukawa. I was playing basketball against another uni when I fractured my rib and further damaged my knee and ankle. I couldn't play competitive basketball anymore so the last thing I wanted to do was write a fic about the aftermath of a basketball injury.**

 **But now that I can think about basketball without feeling shitty, I figured I should get this sequel up before I lose my nerve.** **This was still a struggle to write, so I'm sorry if it becomes an emotional mess at certain parts.**

 **Sorry for the ramble. If anyone actually reads this ^ I'd be really impressed.**

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 **Please read Sleeping Beauty first (I haven't edited it at all, so sorry if it is very childishly written). If you can't be bothered to read all of it, just _read the epilogue of Sleeping Beauty_.**

 **Hope you enjoy! POVs will alternate between Haruko and Rukawa (but it'll all be in 3** **rd** **person).**

* * *

"Rukawa-kun?"

.

.

.

Everything comes to a standstill.

The sound of the stereo, the remnant echoes of the doorbell, even the puffs of her own breath are drowned out by a deafening silence that defines her surprise visitor. Every ounce of her attention is focused on the man at her doorstep, exhausted beyond belief yet still bearing a painfully striking resemblance to the boy she loved.

"Haruko." his voice is hoarse from weeks of under-use. Her name feels too foreign on his tongue; he hasn't said it in years, after all.

Rukawa doesn't know what else to say. A "hello" doesn't even begin to suffice for a greeting between long-lost… _friends_? Could he even say they're friends after what he's put her through?

A sense of dread crawls upon him as Haruko remains unmoving, mouth slightly agape. Burdened with a feeling rather similar to that of a heavy heart, Rukawa gradually realizes that maybe coming back to Japan unannounced wasn't the best idea.

He internally chides himself for the acrimony he feels from the younger Akagi's reaction to him. Nine years have passed since he last lived here, since he last saw her. What kind of response was he looking for?

How could he be so naive as to think that everything would continue as if he never left?

Yet as he contemplates walking away and pretending he hadn't flown thousands of miles for a fool's dream, a body suddenly collides with his, slender arms wrapping around his torso and squeezing him tightly, as though afraid he'll disappear again for another decade. The fresh scent of jasmine permeates the air, tickling his nose.

Something foreign but not altogether unpleasant bubbles up inside him; Rukawa looks down to find a mop of chestnut locks blocking his view. ' _Did she grow taller?'_

"Welcome home." she mumbles into his shoulder, his shirt muffling her words. For some unknown reason, he feels lighter somehow.

When the thought of reciprocating her embrace enters his mind, Haruko stiffens and pulls away, as though it just occurred to her that she was hugging a man known for disliking physical contact. An awkward laugh leaves her lips, reminding Rukawa of the many fake smiles she used to wear back in Shohoku.

"Where are my manners?!" She hastily steps aside, revealing a rather quaint albeit small-sized apartment.

"Come in, come in! Do you have any luggage?"

His gaze shifts to the large suitcase beside him and he nods hesitantly. Haruko tilts her head ever-so-slightly as she entertains the possibility of her apartment being the first place Rukawa intended to visit upon arriving. While she attempts to quell the flutter in her chest at that thought, her wide smile gives her away.

She leads him inside, trying her best to ignore the limp in his stride as he follows her.

* * *

Aside from the unique mixture of the scents of fresh flowers and cold coffee in the air, the first thing Rukawa notices as Haruko ushers him inside is the books haphazardly scattered on her coffee table and a tub of ice cream positioned in the middle of the mess. Her sofa appears rather small – most likely a two-seater – but the large duvet strewn about the couch may have added to its minimizing effect.

"Sorry for the mess…" She scratches the back of her head, a sheepish grin adorning her matured features. Before he can respond, Haruko disappears into what he presumes is the kitchen, leaving him awkwardly stranded in her cluttered living room.

"Please make yourself at home!" she calls out over the radio. A large amount of movement accompanied by a long string of curses can be heard from the kitchen, causing Rukawa to wonder if this woman is truly the same person as the overly-polite girl he knew from years ago.

She returns to him just as quickly as she left, "I'm so sorry Rukawa-kun. I've been such a bad host to you so far. My place is such a mess and I don't even have enough food leftover from dinner for you..." she rambles on, face flustered a bright red as she apologizes for things she shouldn't even feel guilty for in the first place (it wasn't like she _knew_ he would be visiting her).

A corner of his mouth subconsciously lifts into a smirk. Haruko hasn't changed as much as he'd thought.

"Hey." His voice silences her ramblings. "I showed up without telling you. Don't worry about it."

He holds back a chuckle at her shocked expression, that was probably the longest sentence she's heard from him.

She laughs her nervous laugh again, its unnatural cadence producing an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

No matter how hard he glares, nor how many times he insists that there is no need for dinner (given his default silent demeanour, twice is a lot), Haruko's stubborn desire to take care of others eventually wins out in the end. Just as he moves toward the front door, assuming that they'll eat at a restaurant, Haruko calls for delivery.

That is how he finds himself eating Chinese takeout on a loveseat, with his host scarfing down a tub of ice cream as though her life depended on it.

"How long will you be back in Japan for?" She asks him between bites. So focused is she on her dessert that she fails to notice Rukawa's hesitation to reply.

He sighs, putting his empty container on the coffee table.

"I don't know, I didn't buy a return ticket." He admits, essentially admitting to the uncertainty of his future in the States.

She stops mid-bite, attention shifting from her food to observe the man beside her. ' _He doesn't know when he's going back? Is this really Rukawa Kaede?'_

Although he shares the same extraordinarily handsome features as the boy she knew, the similarities start and end there. That focused gaze which was once characteristic of their ace has now grown clouded, dulled by the absence of the ambition that propelled him forward in his high-school years. The frown on his face was once a reflection of his serious nature; now it carries unmistakable traces of despondency. He had always envisaged a future that many wouldn't even dare dream of, where did all that ambition go?

She notices how he slowly turns in his seat to face her, an obvious attempt to avoid straining his knee. When their gazes meet, Haruko realizes that she has seen that resigned look in his eyes far too many times in her own.

This man is a shell of the person he once was.

An awkward cough breaks her musings.

"I found your address from your letter." Rukawa mutters, clearly uncomfortable under her open scrutiny.

She places her ice cream on the table, glancing at Rukawa's suitcase beside the front door, before moving to face her guest. Why is she the first person he contacted? What about his family? His friends?

 _'Maybe he's just stopping by on his way to a hotel?'_

The thought unsettles her. While she is well aware of the fact that – as an ex-NBA player – Rukawa can easily afford a stay at the most exquisite hotels Japan has to offer, something tells her that a five-star hotel isn't what he needs right now.

Despite her rampant thoughts, a reassuring smile graces her features. ' _No matter what, he will always be welcome here.'_

"Rukawa-kun, it's been too long since I've had visitors." A lie, her best friend slept-over two days ago. But it has definitely been too long since she has last seen him. "If you haven't made any arrangements, please use my guest room for as long as you're in Kanagawa."

Rukawa recoils, immediately catching on to what she's doing. Next thing he knows, he's swimming in a pool of acrimony. Was she offering him a place to stay simply because she feels sorry for him? The bitter feeling increases tenfold. He doesn't need her pity.

Just as he opens his mouth to retort to her patronizing, he catches sight of a rosy hue dusting the younger Akagi's cheeks.

"I'd really like to spend time with you while you're here. I umm…" she looks away, suddenly finding her ice cream very interesting. She might as well admit it. "I've m-missed you while you were gone."

His protest dies on his tongue.

The Haruko he has been interacting with tonight appeared far more confident and outgoing than the shy and quiet Haruko he spent his high-school years with. For a while, he was convinced that she had lost that bashful quality. Could it be that under all those layers of confidence and extraversion, the timid girl who harbored feelings for him is still in there? The itch in his nose returns.

He nods, fighting the urge to smirk at the sight of her radiant smile.

* * *

Since the diagnosis of his knee, Rukawa has become very familiar with the concept of regret. When he sat around and pondered his life in the various weeks leading up to his departure to Japan, Rukawa had come to regret some of the sacrifices he made on his journey to the NBA: his friendships, familial bonds were just the start of it.

In all honesty, a part of him believed that he would regret returning to Japan. Nine years had passed: it would have been arrogant of him to think that nothing would have changed while he was away.

Yet, as he rests in the guest bedroom of the one person who was always there for him, slowly drifting into slumber, he recalls Haruko's greeting and thinks to himself that of all the items on his list of regrets, returning to Japan is not one of them.

 _'Welcome home.'_

* * *

 **So Rukawa may be a bit OOC but given that his lifelong goal of playing professionally – a goal he has sacrificed more than just time and effort into fulfilling – has been taken away from him by an injury, it isn't too bizarre for him to be a little depressed.**

 **Thanks for reading my lovelies. Hope all you beautiful human beings are doing well ~~**

 **Stay golden!**

 **Evie**


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